We just saw a wild eighth weekend of the season, as multiple top-25 teams dropped crucial series. One of those teams was No. 2 Arkansas, which lost 2-of-3 to Florida and only widened the gap between No. 1 Tennessee and the rest of the country.
This Tuesday's slate is not the biggest. However, there are many intriguing matchups that will give some of the nation's best teams a chance to start the week off right.
UCLA vs. Pepperdine, 6 p.m. ET
The Bruins entered the season as a very green team lined with blue-chip prospects. But where their talent has shined the most is on the mound. UCLA owns a 2.73 team ERA and an incredible .207 batting average allowed.
One of its many stellar arms will be going in this matchup, as redshirt sophomore Kelly Austin takes the bump. Austin has done it all for the Bruins this season, making seven starts and five relief appearances. He's been nothing but spectacular in both roles and is in line for another strong performance against a scuffling Pepperdine lineup.
The Waves are hitting .268 as a team and have lacked pop, as they've totaled 23 homers while posting a .395 slugging percentage.
On the mound for Pepperdine will be freshman Davis Luikart, who is making his first collegiate start. Luikart will likely serve as an opener, as he has not worked more than an inning very often this year. However, with a 2.70 ERA and 1.10 WHIP entering this start, he should give the Waves an opportunity to hang around early.
The Bruins have struggled a bit offensively, hitting just .258 as a team.
The Pepperdine bullpen has some question marks behind Luikart, but the Waves can keep the Bruins in check by mixing and matching. They'll need to, as their offense will likely be shut down.
If we can get a solid effort out of the Waves' staff, this game should fly under the total.
Pick: Under 9.5
Oklahoma vs. Texas Tech, 7 p.m. ET
While it was a rough weekend for many top-25 teams in the open, that was not the case for Texas Tech.
The Red Raiders swept Kansas State and ended the series emphatically as star Jace Jung hit a walk-off homer to complete the sweep.
JACE JUNG DELIVERS[[[[[[[!!
WALK-OFF HOME RUN, LET'S GOOOOOOOOOOOOO@jace17jung | #WreckEmpic.twitter.com/vzzdXFVG7c
— Texas Tech Baseball (@TTU_Baseball) April 10, 2022
This Tuesday night matchup is no break, as Oklahoma rolls into Lubbock.
The Sooners have played the most challenging schedule in the country, and to their credit, they're above .500. However, they give up more runs on average than their offense puts up, which is a troubling sign against Texas Tech.
This season, the Red Raiders' bats have put up some staggering numbers, as they're slashing .306/.420/.519 as a club. Those numbers have led to plenty of runs — nearly 10 per game.
According to Massey Ratings, Texas Tech is projected to win this matchup 68% of the time. That implied probability means this line should be -213. So, there's a ton of value on the current price here.
Pick: Texas Tech ML -170
